1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a perpendicular magnetic recording medium for use in hard disc drives (HDDs) or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the density increase of HDDs, the magnetic recording system of the HDDs has been changed from a longitudinal magnetic recording system to a perpendicular magnetic recording system that is more suited for high-density recording. Media for use in HDDs of the perpendicular magnetic recording system (referred to as perpendicular recording media hereinafter) is characterized by the orientation of the axis of easy magnetization of the magnetic recording layer, which is in the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. Another characteristic of the perpendicular recording media is the provision of an underlayer in the form of a soft under-layer (referred to as SUL hereinafter). An intense recording field is obtained by returning a magnetic field generated by a magnetic head upon signals recorded through the SUL.
In order to enhance the recording density of the media, it is essential to reduce media noise. Various attempts have been made for the noise reduction. Among these attempts, segregating nonmagnetic substance to grain boundaries in the magnetic recording layer reduces exchange interactions between magnetic crystal grains of the magnetic recording layer and minimizes magnetic inversion units, thereby reducing the media noise.
Materials used for the magnetic recording layer of longitudinal magnetic recording media include alloy materials such as CoCrPt and CoCrTa. For these alloy materials, chromium, a nonmagnetic material, segregates to grain boundaries to isolate the crystal grains from each other to reduce the media noise. The segregation of chromium to the grain boundaries has been improved by devising film deposition processes such as heating and substrate bias application. However, for the perpendicular magnetic recording media, the processes of heating and substrate bias application, such as those used in the longitudinal media, segregates the chromium only in a small amount, causing difficulty in media noise reduction.
To solve this problem, a granular medium using a magnetic recording layer of CoPtCr—SiO2 has been proposed, in which magnetic isolation of crystal grains is promoted by segregation of oxides to grain boundaries. In the granular layer of CoPtCr—SiO2, the SiO2 segregates surrounding crystal grains of CoPtCr to magnetically isolate each crystal grain of CoPtCr. The granular medium is reported to be able to more effectively reduce media noise as compared with perpendicular magnetic recording media that use magnetic recording layer material of conventional CoCr alloy.
In order to increase the segregation of SiO2 to the grain boundaries in the granular layer of CoPtCr—SiO2, the pressure of atmosphere in the deposition process needs to be elevated. Such a high pressure, however, decreases the density of the layer. The lowered density of the layer results in a problem that corrosive components such as moisture and oxidizing substance pass through the gap between crystal grains and reach the SUL, thus causing corrosion of the SUL. Moreover, the protective layer must be made thinner to reduce the space between the magnetic head and the medium. A thin protective film, however, is liable to have initial defects or defects due to driving operation. Accordingly, the defects in the protective film increase the corrosion of the SUL, which can become a severe problem.
Japanese Patent Publication 2007-109358 (and the corresponding U.S. Patent Publication US 2007/0087226 A1) discloses a method to improve corrosion resistance by decreasing cobalt concentration contained in the SUL. Japanese Patent Publication 2007-184019 discloses a method to provide a barrier layer on the SUL surface for protecting the SUL. However, just reducing cobalt concentration in the SUL was unable to attain satisfactory improvement in corrosion resistance. As for providing a barrier layer, since defects in the barrier layer itself cannot be completely eliminated, corrosion of the SUL through these defects is still inevitable. Further, adding the barrier layer expands the space between the magnetic head and the SUL, which may degrade the write ability of the medium.
Japanese Patent Publication 2007-294032 discloses an improvement in corrosion resistance with a soft magnetic material of amorphous CoFeAlCr alloy with an additive of Ta, Nb or Zr. The document further discloses that the soft magnetic layer can be composed of a plurality of layers, and two layers in the soft magnetic layer can be coupled with a ruthenium layer therebetween using antiferromagnetically coupling (AFC).
Japanese Patent Publication 2007-273055 discloses that material of an amorphous soft magnetic layer with AFC contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Al, Si, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, C, and B. The document further discloses that another soft magnetic layer can be provided as an upper layer.
However, Japanese Patent Publications 2007-294032 and 2007-273055 do not recognize that electromagnetic performances are degraded by addition of chromium, titanium or the like in the soft magnetic layer with AFC in the magnetic recording medium of the two documents. Therefore, it is desired to have a method that improves corrosion resistance of the SUL itself without degrading performances of the medium.